The invention relates to an electrical switch that includes an actuator movably guided in a switch housing and carrying contacts for making or breaking an electric connection with stationary contacts mounted in the switch. The actuator has a surface which extends parallel to the actuator movement and in which there is provided a guide curve having at least two latching positions. A pin rides in the curve upon movement of the actuator such that the actuator can be locked in on and off positions in the respective latching positions of the guide curve according to the preamble of patent claim 1.
Such electrical switches are used to switch electrical devices on and off by pressure operations the actuator locking home in the respective switch position. These switches are used, in particular, for household appliances, such as vacuum cleaners and the like.
Such an electrical switch whose actuator, which is movably guided in the housing and can be brought into two latched positions by means of pressure, has been disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift 2,217,690. In the first latched position, the contact bridges arranged on the actuator do not touch the break contacts located in the housing, so that the switch is in the off position, while in the second latched position the contact bridges touch the break contacts, as a result of which the switch is located in the on position.
In order to fix the latched positions, this electrical switch has two identical heart-shaped guide curves arranged on mutually opposite sides of the actuator. Located on the sides of the housing assigned to the guide curves are two slots in which a gudgeon of a bolt engages. A further pin of the bolt engages, in turn, in the assigned guide curve, as a result of which the latched positions of the switch are fixed by the interaction of pin and guide curves.
It has proved to be disadvantageous in this switch that jamming of the gudgeon in the slot of the housing, or of the pin in the guide curve can occur in the event of tilting of the actuator. In both cases, there is then the risk of a lack of latching in the on or off position. This uncertain switching performance means, in turn, a defective operational reliability for the switch in question. Moreover, this switch is difficult to install because of the two bolts which are to be simultaneously inserted on the two sides of the housing.